This Mind of Mine

Unending Spiral (Campaign Setting)

I am known by many names, dear reader, but perhaps my most famous – or infamous – is Nalan Balcard. I have been known as the Gray Ogre, Pale Slayer, and the Dark Knight of Vermillion to man. I have been called the Scourge of Tessah, Dwarfslayer, and the Mithril Reaver by the dweogar. My name reverberates through the histories for injustices I have committed against my will and I am also regarded as a hero. It was I who brought about this new age that we live in. I, the Death-dealer of the World Divider, brought an end to the tyranny of the Gods.
But my stories are mere drops in the ocean when compared to the entire history of the world I live in. Greater men than I have walked these lands and done many great deeds. My land is rich with tradition and stories of great wars and great quests. But like me, it is also filled with the tragedies brought on by villains, creatures so hell-bent on chaos they would sacrifice their own lives to bring it upon all.
Like you, my home is Eyane. It is this land where folk war amongst themselves on land, by sea, and in the heavens. It is here that I enjoy the company of those your like. If I pass you in my travels, perhaps we can walk together for a time and admire the Ancient Ones’ work in the heavens above.

- Nalan Balcard

The World
Generations have passed since the gods vowed to remain neutral in the lives of mortals and allow them to exhibit their truest potential. The Age of Heroes has come and gone and the world rots from internal conflict. Will those who can and will stand follow the paths of the goodly and lawful heroic ancestors, or will they fall from grace into the Spiral in hopes of drawing from the unknown depths of its chaos and evil?
This question faces you and those that walk with you at every step. You may one day be the example that guides future heroes to greatness or leads villains to darkness.
In this world, balances shift at every moment. Conflict is everywhere and the goals are often unclear . The lines between good and evil, chaos and law are ever-shifting.

Characteristics of the Unending Spiral

If it exists in the Dungeons and Dragons world, then it has a place in the Unending Spiral.
The world of Urz acts as an amalgam of very different planes and draws its foundation from magnificent ancient powers. Creatures from the lowly goblin to the powerful and mighty dragon exist in the world.

The Gods cannot directly interfere with mortals.
Over one thousand years have passed with mortals praying to the gods, but receiving no direct answers. Faiths abound in the world, but no single soul can claim he has seen that which lies beyond or how the beings prayed to by mortals truly influence the world. The Covenant of the Ascended established the flow of the White Winds into the world; a source of raw divine energy that made it unnecessary for the gods to grant the boon of their own power to their most devout. Instead, the rituals and prayers of man became like spells from an arcanist’s tome and were passed down throughout the generations. This truth has caused peoples who worship even the same god to disagree on how the holy books and traditions should be upheld. Some orders of Priests boast the worship of all gods as they all grant power or even the worship of no gods at all.

The world is vast and ancient.
Long ago, the natural world was home to world-spanning nations that held influence even amongst different planes and wielded lore and magic beyond the realm of current comprehension. The vast majority of history before the Covenant of the Ascended has been lost to time and decay, creating a landscape that is doted in ruins and mystery.

Magic is respected and feared, some forms of magic are hunted and destroyed.
Magic is everywhere, but, due to the natural limitations of mortals, it can only be wielded by those who are disciplined enough to learn to manipulate it or who were lucky enough to be born with the ability. Magic typically stems from the Ethereal Plane, which pulses with all types of power which flows into the world. Lore holds that every power source man has ever tapped into has a source. The darkest magics are drawn up from the Shadowfell on the Dark Winds and many of the cultures of the world have held that people who do so are tainted by its vileness or are in some way the servants of malevolent powers from the start. Such people are despised, discriminated against, and openly hunted by religious orders. Sorcerers and warlocks are also hated spellcasters as their power is drawn from a source with abandon or taken as a boon of a pact with an ancient and ultimately evil power.

How To Use This Information
The Unending Spiral Campaign Setting Supplement is your guide for creating Dungeons and Dragons characters from the world of Urz, specifically from the continent of Eyane.